The markets are headed toward a positive week — and certain stocks stood out from the rest. As of Friday afternoon, all the major averages were in the green for the week. The S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up 1.5% and 2.9% week to date, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose about 0.2% since Monday. Regional bank stocks were among this week's most notable gainers after a difficult few weeks.
Western Digital shares popped 16.6% as of Friday morning. Investor sentiment was buoyed this week by a Reuters report that the tech company is accelerating merger deal talks with Japan-based Kioxia Holdings. Analysts covering Western Digital believe shares could rise almost 16% this year. More than 40% of these analysts rate it a buy, according to FactSet data. Semiconductor design company Synopsys ' stock jumped 12.5% week to date and hit a new 52-week high on Friday.